Vultures Return to The Alps
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
The Alps were once home to large populations of bearded vultures, but the birds were hunted to extinction by the early 20th century because people mistakenly believed they attacked livestock and even children. Decades later, conservationists from several European countries launched an ambitious reintroduction effort to bring them back. Beginning in 1986, young vultures raised in zoos and breeding centers were carefully released into protected areas across the Alpine range and monitored until they could survive on their own. The long-term collaboration between scientists, national parks, and local communities has been remarkably successful— hundreds of birds have been released, wild breeding has resumed, and the Alpine population is slowly reaching its original numbers. Despite being absent from the area for nearly a century, the vultures are now back to cleaning up carcasses, keeping the ecosystem healthy, and soaring over the Alps, creating one of Europe’s most inspiring wildlife comeback stories in the process.
Image via BBC
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